Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Snow, Bud Cosies, and Odds and Ends

First big storm of winter. We got about 10" and it sure does make farming much more complicated. The first storm is always the hardest because I forget until the last minute about all the before first storm prep, snow clean-up and the hauling of wood through the snow, into the house, down into the cellar and into the furnace. I worked the Amherst Winter Farmers Market Saturday and The Farmer stayed home to get the barns ready for lambing season. We still have 215 ewes and rams out grazing so they needed some hay put before them. The rams went in on August 18th so the earliest we will expect lambs is January 18th.

The Farmer is still cleaning out last year's hay, bedding and manure pack and getting ready for this year's contribution. Most of it can be done with a tractor but it is still incredibly time consuming. You think snow is heavy? Try packed manure.

Now it is storming again. We are expecting about 6". The way it is coming down, I think it will be more like a foot. It was 6 below zero this morning! Winter has definitely arrived.

On the island of Guernsey in the UK, the Vale Church has begun an interesting project to bring Christmas back to its true meaning. A Knitted Knitivity (specifically Mary, Joseph, and their faithful donkey) is making the rounds on the island visiting businesses, homes, and more to spend a day on display and bring joy to many people. A nice project that your church might be inspired to try next year. See more about it here. Those little knit figures are really making the rounds. I got three copies of my recent book in the mail today. Fifty Sunflowers has been translated into a few different languages. Pretty exciting for me as I think I have only had a couple other books done in foreign translations. Can anyone help me out here? What languages are these?

I have one kitten named Teddy left who has found a home but we are keeping her until after the holidays. Nice! I can keep taking cute kitten photos of her. How's this one with yarn? She is quite the looker, isn't she?

Bravo to you on the translations of your sunflowers book. It must be wonderful to think of folks in various parts of the world making your sunflowers!

Your kitten is a beauty. My childhood was dog centered...kittens never crossed the thresh hold...yet, every time I see some kitten now, or hear a friend tell a kitten or cat tale (not tail) I wonder if I've missed something.

Oh wow - all that snow! You certainly get proper winters over there. We've got lambs at a nearby farm, Dorsets who lamb early so they can offer New Season lamb all year. My friend is in Marrakech at the moment - I've asked her to look for fabrics!! I'm finishing quilts for the family for Christmas - I finished markets early this year and have big plans for next year! Hope you have some time to enjoy the snowy landscapes and do try to put your feet up by the fire, in the evening. do TRY!

About Me

I am an author and artist specializing in surface design including the disciplines of ceramics, textiles, needlework, knitwear, stitchery, and interior design. The thread that holds my work together is color and pattern. I live in western Massachusetts, USA in a 1751 farmhouse with my husband Mark and daughter Julia on a farm along with over 250 sheep, chickens, cats and dogs.

Copyright Kristin Nicholas 2006 - 2019

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